It's been clear since those Thursday evening numbers dropped that Spider-Man: No Way Home would be a massive box office hit, but to say the threequel has exceeded expectations would be an understatement. While it was looking like the movie would net the third-highest domestic debut, the webbed wonder smashed past $253 million estimates to earn a whopping $260 million in the U.S.
As a result, Spider-Man: No Way Home now holds the honour of having the second-highest opening weekend in North American box office history (we'd call that a spectacular and amazing result).
Now, the Jon Watts-directed movie has topped Avengers: Infinity War ($257 million) and sits behind only Avengers: Endgame ($357 million). Without COVID causing chaos, it's possible Spider-Man: No Way Home could have rivalled that blockbuster, but this is an astonishing result and one that has delivered pre-pandemic numbers box office analysts definitely didn't see coming.
What comes next? $600 million before the New Year seems likely, and that's in the U.S. alone. Without ever seeing the light of day in China, this third MCU-set adventure should top $1 billion with ease. Believe it or not, the last movie to accomplish that feat was 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
In our spoiler-free review, we concluded with: "Spider-Man: No Way Home is the greatest Marvel movie ever made. Period. As epic as it is emotional, this is not only a perfect blockbuster, but Spider-Man’s wildest, funniest, and most awe-inspiring adventure yet. It's a Marvel masterpiece."
Now you've had the chance to watch it, what did you think of the latest Spider-Man movie?